The limited visibility of a driver of a large haulage vehicle, such as may be used in mines or in the construction industry, produces a major safety problem since the lack of visibility causes an increasing number of accidents, particularly as the sizes of such vehicles become larger and larger.
Large, rear dump haulage trucks, for example, have a particular problem because the driver cannot see large areas near the truck, since he normally sits back under the truck box lip for protection from falling objects, and cannot see areas to the rear of the truck. Such blind areas can conceal the presence of people, other vehicles, or various stationary objects, for example, all of which are then subject to potential damage by the large haulage truck. In most such vehicles the visibility problem is greatest for the right front and rear areas, since the driver tends to have better visibility on the left side where he or she normally sits.
Improved driver visibility would considerably reduce accidents and would improve the driver's control of the vehicle and, hence, the productive use of the vehicle. Accordingly, it is desirable that the visibility problem be solved in a manner which provides effective proximity detection of objects in an economically feasible manner.